Italy’s supervolcano Campi Flegrei beneath Naples could erupt at ANY moment, completely devastating the city

The monster magma chamber, called Campi Flegrei, has been quietly growing under the ancient town of Pozzuoli for decades

By Amanda Devlin

21st September 2017, 11:31 am

Updated: 21st September 2017, 11:38 am

A SUPERVOLCANO which threatens to wipe out Europe could be about to explode, scientists claim.

Campi Flegrei is a massive magma chamber which has been lying dormant under the city of Naples for decades.

Alamy

Steam and sulfurous fumes rise from Campi Flegrei volcanic area in Pozzuoli, Naples

It's feared the "hot zone" could burst at any moment if the pressure of molten rock causes the ground to stretch to breaking point, after quietly growing since the 1980s.

A new study published in the Nature journal Scientific Reports says the eruption could have a serious impact on the Naples region, which is home to around 1.5 million people.

Two thousand years ago Mount Vesuvius destroyed Pompeii, and now experts fear there is another threat of danger.

Dr Christopher Kilburn from the University College London Hazard Center said: “By studying how the ground is cracking and moving at Campi Flegrei, we think it may be approaching a critical stage where further unrest will increase the possibility of an eruption, and it’s imperative that the authorities are prepared for this."

Vesuvius incinerated and suffocated thousands when it destroyed the Roman city of Pompeii in 79 AD.

Now scientists are turning their attention to Campi Flegrei which has only had two major eruptions — 35,000 years ago and 12,000 years ago — and a smaller eruption in 1538.

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The eruption of Vesuvius in 1799

Image Bank - Getty

An aerial view of the crater of volcanic Mount Vesuvius

Dr De Siena said: “During the last 30 years the behaviour of the volcano has changed, with everything becoming hotter due to fluids permeating the entire caldera.

“This means that the risk from the caldera is no longer just in the centre, but has migrated. Indeed, you can now characterise Campi Flegrei as being like a boiling pot of soup beneath the surface.

“What this means in terms of the scale of any future eruption we cannot say, but there is no doubt that the volcano is becoming more dangerous."

Getty - Contributor

The city of Naples is home to around 1.5million people

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